The Best Ride
by shadowblade-tara
Summary: Ten years after Michael's death, three girls give KITT another reason to live. When KARR returns to exact revenge on KITT, these girls prove they're tougher than they look. AU kinda sorta.
1. New Car

Knight Rider © not mine. Don't sue, you won't get anything.

AN: Where did this come from? Well, my friends and I were on crack today (not really), and we realized – we talk to my truck all the time. What would happen if it talked back? My mind went immediately to Knight Rider, and this is what we have. So sit back and enjoy this bit of insanity.

**One – The New Car**

It was hard to find a reason to live.

His driver had been dead for almost ten years, and Foundation had discarded him, just like he knew they would. He had told Michael as much, but the man had insisted that he live, that he find a reason to continue to exist. He had promised, and he never broke a promise. No matter how hard it was to live up to it.

So he sat there in the junkyard, struggling to find a reason. Because if he didn't have a reason, he might as well not live at all.

/--/

It was a small enough house, with only a small kitchen, a living room, a small bedroom, and a half-bathroom – shower, toilet, and sink. Enough to live in, not enough to make a home in. It was all the three girls could afford, and even then, it was barely. They had enough money to live comfortably, but that was only by sheer luck. Lucky that 20-year-olds Heather and Raven worked at the local grocery store. Lucky that 23-year-old Jess worked as a wielder at the nearest plant. Unlucky that Jess had to hitch a ride in the back of Heather's truck to work every day.

So, as Heather sat on her bed on one side of the living room, Jess on hers on the other side, and Raven was on the computer at the foot of Jess's bed, it came as no surprise as Jess spoke up. She ran her fingers through her blonde-brown hair as she spoke. "I really need a car. Who wants to come with me?"

Raven sighed, never looking away from the computer. "Translation – who wants to drive Dante so she can get her car?" she muttered. Her own dark brown hair – almost black – hung in a messy ponytail down her back. Heather, who was now laying on her bed with a chemistry textbook as her pillow, laughed.

"If she asked politely, Dante would drive her there himself." she teased. Dante was the truck Heather had had since she was seventeen. It was a good truck – if a bit beat up from years of driving down bumpy dirt roads. Jess rolled her eyes.

"The day Dante drives me anywhere is the day I scream." she muttered. "So who wants to go with me?"

"I will." Heather sighed. "I'm tired of this thing."

"I thought you were supposed to be studying, not sleeping." Raven pointed out dryly.

"It's called studying by osmosis." Heather quipped. "So, where are we going? I know we can't afford a new car, and I haven't seen anything in the classifieds."

Jess grinned. "There's a really nice one in the junk yard by High Ridge. Don't ask, I saw it there, and thought I might go look at it."

Heather gave Jess a look. "Did you hear banjoes?" she asked sarcastically. "High Ridge isn't exactly the safest place to be."

"She was visiting Mike." Raven said helpfully.

"Snitch." Jess shot back with a huge grin. "I can't help it, he's cute. Seriously, though, I think it's a nice car – not a scratch on it."

"You serious?" Heather sat up, interest sparking in her eyes. "They usually put them through the compactor after a while. Right?"

Jess giggled. "There was a car-sized dent in the compactor." she grinned.

Now she had Raven's interest. She pushed away from the computer. "What kind of car is it?" she demanded. "A semi truck?"

Jess smirked, clearly loving the attention. "Try a Trans-Am."

Heather grinned. "Hey, I'm in." she said enthusiastically. "I'm all for the classics."

/--/

There was activity, and he watched as the worn-down pickup made it's way through the junk yard. A young woman with black hair rode in the bed. There were two other girls in the front cabin. He wondered briefly what they were doing here, then decided it didn't matter. He watched them for lack of anything else better to do.

Heather and Raven hung back as Jess flounced over to the owner of the junk yard, a small, scrawny old man with too few teeth. Raven caught Heather's eye and mouthed _'banjoes'._ Heather had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

"Can I help you girls?" the old man aksed.

Jess nodded. "I was wondering how much you wanted for that car there?" She pointed at the Trans-Am.

As Jess and the old man haggled over the price, Heather and Raven took the opportunity to examine the car. "I wonder if it even runs." Raven muttered.

"Well, I'm not a mechanic, but there's no rust on the outside." Heather pointed out. "I'm assuming that means there's no rust on the inside."

Raven nodded. "Makes sense." She looked from the car to the compactor and grinned. "Looks like Jess wasn't exaggerating." She pointed at the large dent that looked like it fit the model of the black sports car in front of them. "Tough thing, isn't it?"

"Considering the way we drive, it'll have to be." Heather pointed out with a grin. Raven laughed as Jess bounced up to them.

"Got a real good deal on it." She was practically bubbling over in excitement. "Guys, this is my first ever car!" Her voice turned into a squeal at the very end. Heather laughed.

"All I got was an old Ford Ranger." she teased.

"Don't talk too loud." Raven said in a stage-whisper. "You'll make Dante jealous."

"Dante wasn't my first car."

"As I well remember."

They fell silent as the old man approached Jess. "Here's the keys." he mumbled. "Have a nice day, girls."

"Thank you!" Jess looked ready to hug him. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Let's get out of here." she said. "I told a couple of my friends they could show up for that video thing we're doing today."

As Jess climbed into the driver's seat, she hesitated. Something felt _off_ with the car. Not wrong, just different. As if . . .

She shook the feeling free. Not now.


	2. Meeting KITT

**Meeting KITT**

Jess wasn't expecting a phone call while she was on break. She was leaning against the outside of the building when the call came. Frowning, she checked the caller ID and flipped the phone open. "I thought your break was over."

"Love you too, Jess." Heather retorted. "I need a favor."

"Depends."

"Pick me up? I'm at the clinic."

Jess grinned. "Visiting Faja?" she asked, using their long time nickname for Heather's dad. There was a dry laugh from the other end.

"I wish. I was in a bit of an accident."

Jess froze, her eyes widening in shock. "Any casualties?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light. The last accident they'd been in was terrifying to say the least.

"Dante, we think." Heather said glumly. "It was a head-on collision."

"With what?" Jess demanded.

"A tree. I was forced off the road." Another slightly forced laugh, and Jess could tell Heather was on the verge of hysterics. "I fractured my leg and bruised my ribs, but I'll be fine. I'm more concerned about Dante." A sigh. "I like that truck."

"Who forced you off the road?" Jess wondered.

"Chevy pickup. Remind you of someone?"

Jess hissed in anger. "I am gonna kill him."

"Dad's gonna beat you to it. I'll explain everything later. Come get me? Then we need to get Raven. I don't want her by herself at the store."

"I'll be there." Jess closed the phone with a snap. Calling out a hasty explanation to her boss, she scrambled into the Trans-Am. "I hope you're fast, little car," she muttered, "because I'm in a hurry."

"I'm certainly faster than your truck."

Jess screamed. "Holy crap!" She pressed her hand against her chest, breathing hard. "Was – are you the car?"

"In a manner of speaking." the male voice responded. "But I would rather explain to all three of you at once. Where are we going?"

"The clinic in town." Jess said, still a bit stunned. To her utter astonishment, the car started itself and began moving. "Wait, you can drive yourself? How?"

"Like I said, I'll explain later." the car insisted patiently. "As flustered as you are, you are in no condition to drive."

Jess leaned back, attempting to absorb all of this. Nope, wasn't happening. "Well, just get us there quickly." she said finally. "I need to get to Heather." She tilted her head back, attempting to calm her breathing. It wasn't working very well.

"If you aren't careful, you'll hyperventilate." the car warned her.

"Do me a favor."

"Yes."

"Shut up until I get my head around this." she pleaded. "Then you can talk. I'm about to short-circuit." The car let out an affirmative sound and fell silent, continuing to guide itself down the road. They were going a bit faster than the speed limit, but it wasn't that far from the plant to the clinic. They were there in ten minutes. Jess almost fell trying to get out of the car. "Heather!"

"Hey, Jess." Heather waved at her, a slight smile on her face. Her ankle was in a brace, and she was supporting her weight with a wooden cane. Despite herself, Jess snickered at the sight, and Heather shot her a venomous look. "One reference to House and I will kill you."

"I wasn't going to say anything!" Jess protested with a grin. "Although I was thinking it."

"Loudly, I might add."

"Well, come on and let's get Raven." Jess said, grabbing her sister's arm. "The last thing I want is Travis to catch her on her own."

"I pity Travis if he does." Heather said with a dry laugh. "Hey, are you all right – you look pale."

Jess shook her head. "You'll find out when I do." She helped Heather into the passenger's seat and found her way into the driver's. Now that she was calmer, it seemed that the car was willing to let her drive. Which was good. Jess couldn't handle any more strangeness right now.

/--/

He wondered if he was doing the right thing.

Michael had told him to find a reason to live, just before he died. When Michael died, it felt like a part of him had too. Still, he had promised, and he was struggling to live up to that promise. These girls were hardly more than children. Maybe they would be more receptive to the idea of a talking car than others had. Maybe he could find a place here away from Foundation. Maybe he could live in peace.

Not likely. But it was nice to dream.

As they picked up Raven, he took over the controls and guided them out to the lake. There wasn't much of one anymore, but he could see where the waterline originally was. As he parked, he heard Jess sigh.

"Here we go." she murmured.

"So, what are we doing out here?" Raven wondered.

"I said I had some explaining to do." the car said.

Raven jumped back and pressed herself into the backseat. Heather simply stared at the dashboard. "Holy crap." she muttered. "So that's what freaked Jess out."

"I don't mean to frighten you."

"Succeeded." Raven said shakily. She slowly inched forward. "Okay, explanations – like what are you?"

A sigh. "I am – well, I was Knight Industries Two Thousand, but I would prefer it if you called me KITT. I was a creation of Foundation, but not anymore." There was a note of melancholy in the voice, and that very human emotion calmed the girls somewhat. "Ten years ago Foundation decided they no longer had a use for me, and instead of being scrapped, I decided to head out on my own."

"You ran away." Raven said suddenly.

"Precisely."

"Scrapped?" Jess wondered. "Why? A car that can talk? Is intelligent? That has to be valuable."

"My parts, yes, but not my memory bank. And I refused to allow them to wipe it clean so they could start from scratch." KITT hesitated, then continued. So long as he was talking, he might as well tell them everything. "You see, they assigned me a driver not long after I was first activated. I grew attached. When my driver died, I wouldn't let them take my memories of him. He was my only friend."

"That's sad." Jess said, sympathy thick in her voice.

"Wait a minute." Heather said suddenly. "Just what, exactly, were you designed to do, KITT?"

KITT didn't hesitate. The dashboard transformed, showing off all of the gadgets he had collected over the years. "Technically I am a weapon, but I have been programmed to protect human life. Especially the life of my driver above all others." he explained.

Heather frowned. "That doesn't make sense. Why would Foundation – or anyone for that matter – discard something that special? They should have let you keep what you wanted and just moved on."

"Maybe they were afraid of what KITT could do because of those memories." Raven said thoughtfully.

"More like the new leader of Foundation didn't quite approve of the methods my driver and I used." KITT said with some distain. "He sent us on the mission that got Michael killed."

There was a long pause. "All right." Raven said suddenly. "So you've been in the junkyard for who knows how long. Your parts are probably in dire need of a tune-up. The last thing you want is Foundation to find you."

"That pretty much sums it up." KITT agreed.

"There's no help for it then." Jess said decisively.

"He's staying with us." Heather agreed.

"Just like that?" KITT sounded stunned. "You trust me that fast?"

The three girls looked at each other, then at the voice box. "Why not?" Heather said. "You need some help. We can help you."

"Not exactly top notch, but we do." Raven quipped.

KITT hesitated. "Thank you."


	3. Standards of Friendship

**Standards of Friendship**

Heather closed her eyes, allowing the weak sunlight to filter through the leaves and dance on her skin. For once it was silent – Raven and Jess were with their mom for the day. Heather had been invited to come, but she had declined. After the past few weeks of nothing but studying, she wanted the chance for peace and quiet. In the background, Celtic music played quietly. Heather relaxed with her back against the tree.

It would have been perfect, if a ceritan someone wasn't being so darn quiet. She had been hoping one-on-one contact would get the reclusive AI to open up a bit, but apparently he was determined to keep his distance from them. She breathed deeply. Time for the direct approach. "You know, if you have a question, you can just ask it." she said quietly. "We don't bite." This was part of why she wanted to stay behind. She was a bit better at getting reluctant people to talk than the others.

"I didn't want to disturb you." KITT said hesitantly.

Heather rolled her eyes. "Disturb me? I am doing nothing but sitting here going brain-dead, which is a wonderful feeling by the way." She flashed the car a smile. "Besides, once Jess and Raven get home, you will be disturbed. The least you can do is return the favor."

For a solid minute, KITT was silent. "I don't understand you." he said finally. "Every evening for the two weeks I've been here, you guys keep coming out here to talk to each other. I know you can do that inside."

Heather shrugged. "You can talk, think – heck, you had the power to defy orders. That makes you alive in our eyes. We aren't going to pretend like you're just a car. It's not right." Slowly, she opened her eyes and studied the Trans-Am. "You're one of us, KITT. We don't abandon our own."

KITT seemed to think that over. "Would Jess and Raven say the same thing?"

Heather laughed. "Something like it. Raven would probably ignore the question, but she would prove it to you in practice. Jess would say it, only not as nice." She smiled. "Jess is more open about her violent side than Raven and me. As a result, we are mistakenly referred to as the sane ones."

KITT laughed. It sounded so odd, hearing a computer laugh, but at the same time, he made it sound natural. KITT had learned to laugh a long time ago. "I take it there are no sane ones in your group." he teased. Heather grinned.

"Not one." she said happily. "Sanity is overrated."

There was a smile in KITT's voice. "I'll have to remember that. Looks like I'm the sane one once again."

"Not for long." came the cheerful response. "We will make you as crazy as we are. That's a promise."

"I'll hold you to that." KITT said with evident amusement. Heather smiled at him and rested her head against the tree. KITT had to admit, this wasn't as much of a leap as he thought. They were younger than Michael had been when they were introduced, so they were a bit more accepting of him. They certainly took to him a lot faster than Michael would have without a mission to force them to work together. Now he just needed to learn how to protect the girls. They were potential family, like Bonnie and Michael had been, and he would not allow Foundation to harm them.

/--/

As another two weeks passed, KITT grew more accustomed to the girls and their odd habits. The early morning arguments over who got to shower first, bickering over the radio station (KITT solved that one by playing opera music as loud as he could. Then he recorded their reactions for later. That was truly priceless), the nightly ritual where they sat outside with frozen dinners and caught up on daily events, he began to find them all commonplace. He also learned very quickly about their lack of survival instincts.

Despite being healed, Heather still brought her cane with her to work and class. She said it came in handy. He finally found how why when he and Jess went to pick up Heather and Raven from work. KITT immediately took note of the cop cars and slowed down. "What is going on?" he wondered. Jess shifted in the seat.

"I don't know." she murmured. "It doesn't look like they're in trouble." Heather and Raven were calmly talking to two of the cops, not paying any attention to KITT and Jess. "Can you hear what they're saying?"

"No. But I can tell there is another person in the back of the police car." KITT said. "He looks a bit on the bruised side."

A bark of laughter from Jess. "Oh, so that's what happened."

"What?"

"Someone tried to hurt them." She was shaking, but KITT couldn't tell if it was from laughter or fury. "They hurt him first. And I know who it was." Heather and Raven finished up with the cop and joined Jess inside KITT. He felt a bit better now that all three of his charges were inside his passenger compartment. He wasn't sure how bullet-proof he was anymore, but he knew he was better protection than out there. Jess gave them both a hug. "Did he hurt you?"

"Nope." Heather said with grim satisfaction. "He tried to though."

"I decked him in the nose and Heather clocked him in the head with her cane." Raven said happily.

"Who is he?" KITT demanded.

"Travis. My ex-boyfriend." Jess sighed. "He hates my guts, so he keeps going around trying to hurt those I'm close to. He may try to hurt you."

Kitt made a sound of complete and utter disbelief. "Not likely." He memorized the boy's face. He had a feeling he was going to need it later. "Was he the one who forced Heather off the road?"

"The one and only." Heather said darkly. "Dad has a bounty on his head. Now it's a matter of who collects first – Dad or Borden."

"Borden would be funny." Raven mused. "There would be no body left."

"Dad would carve his initials on the body." Jess commented. "Probably safer if Borden found him."

"Who's Borden?" KITT sounded lost again.

"My brother." Heather said. "He's a great mechanic, and he's pretty good with computers, but he's got someone that's even better than he is with them." She rolled her eyes. The others laughed.

"Thing is, Drake is a bit, ah, cocky, so to speak." Raven snickered.

"According to Borden, he's too cocky." Heather laughed. "Like he has room to talk."

"I'm assuming I will be able to meet this Borden and Drake, right?" KITT asked.

"Definitely." Jess grinned. "They'll get a kick out of you."

"Oh, joy." KITT muttered. "Can't wait."

The girls simply laughed at him.


	4. Friends in High Places

**Friends in High Places**

Meeting new people had never been high on KITT's list of favorite things to do. Michael had always been the social one in their partnership. KITT only spoke when he absolutely had to. No matter how many times it had happened, human suspicion always stung KITT. He supposed he couldn't blame them, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. So, as a result, he didn't like meeting new people.

The garage on the outskirts of the nearest big city wasn't much to look at at first. The garage where Bonnie worked on him was much nicer and better equipped. Still, KITT found amusement in the two men arguing with each other. One incredibly tall and lanky, blond hair and blue eyes, a cigarette held in one hand, unlit. The other much shorter and stouter, dark brown curls and chocolate eyes. Both men wore dark brown shirts stained with oil and grease. The blond looked up in shock as KITT rolled to a stop and all three girls climbed out.

"Hey Borden!" Heather latched on to the man's waist, and suddenly KITT could see the family resemblance. Siblings. "How's it going?"

"Going good." Borden laughed. "How did you guys get a hold of a Tans-Am? They don't make those anymore."

"We found him in the junkyard." Jess explained, giving Borden and Drake hugs. The dark-haired boy – who KITT assumed was Drake – gave her an odd look.

"Found him?" he asked politely. He hesitated long enough to give Heather a hug. "Odd phrasing."

"But accurate." Raven said with a grin. "Borden, Drake – meet KITT."

"You named the car Kitt?" Borden sounded vaguely amused.

"Actually, I named myself." KITT said smugly. Which was true. When Devon had first brought him online, he had called the car Knight 2000. That had gotten on KITT's nerves quickly enough, and he had started insisting on Devon calling him by the acronym. That was what he introduced himself by, whether Devon approved or not. Eventually the old man had given up.

His thoughts were interrupted by Drake's startled curse. Borden simply lit up. "Explain." he demanded. "Are you AI or something?"

KITT sighed. "Yes. I was designed by Knight Industries, but as you can see, I am no longer with my creators." he explained.

Drake's eyes were wide with shock. "That is so cool!" He started to circle the car. Jess, Raven and Heather exchanged amused glances. Drake cast a look at the girls. "Why didn't you tell us about the car sooner?"

KITT sighed again. "I have a name." he reminded the boy. "Use it."

Borden laughed. "Touche. He's got a good sense of humor." he commented. "Let's see how well he holds up under sarcasm."

"I learned from the best." KITT retorted, thinking of Michael with a pang.

"We will help you refine your skills." Heather said dryly.

Raven nodded in Jess's direction. "She's proof."

"Hey!"

"Do you see what I've been dealing with for the past month?" KITT said dryly, speaking mostly to Borden. The older man didn't seem nearly as affected as his younger companion. If anything, he was simply very protective of his little sister. Borden and Drake laughed.

"Try dealing with it for 20 years." Borden teased.

Jess grinned. "Yeah, and you love us still."

Borden sighed. "That's your only saving grace."

"I thought that was Heather's line." Raven teased.

"There was a legitimate reason for coming here." Heather reminded them. "Considering that KITT's been in a junkyard for ten years, we thought it would be a good idea for you two to make sure he's still in good condition."

"Is that wise, letting them into my circuitry?" KITT protested.

Jess nodded. "Yeah, we think it is. Borden and Drake are great mechanics, despite their ages." KITT watched the two males cautiously.

"If you say so." His voice was filled with doubt. The only person to have ever worked on him was Bonnie. Letting someone else do the job seemed like sacrelige. On the other hand, Bonnie was gone. Maybe dead like Michael and Devon, or simply sent away somewhere where she couldn't find him. Either way, KITT didn't have a choice.

"He's my brother, KITT." Heather assured him. "He's the best, even if he is a buttmunch." She ignored the filthy look Borden shot her. "I wouldn't leave you with him if I didn't think they wouldn't hurt you. Promise."

"I guess that means you want the truck?" Drake sighed.

"Yep." Raven cheered.

Jess held out her hand for the keys, giving Borden her best pout. "Please?" Borden simply rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. KITT felt like laughing as Jess put an extra bit of helplessness into the look. "Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"That doesn't work on me." Borden said dryly, looking pointedly at Heather.

"Yeah, I think I made him immune." Heather said sheepishly.

Raven smirked. She slinked up to Borden, stretched on tiptoes, and kissed him on the cheek. He was stunned for the brief second needed to get the keys from his pocket. He gaped at her.

"Not fair." he protested weakly.

"You are not leaving me alone!" KITT sounded frantic.

Jess smiled and patted KITT's hood reassuringly. "You'll be all right." She looked at Borden, who was slowly recovering from Raven's kill. "Rae, you're lucky he doesn't have a girlfriend."

Raven smirked. "Yeah, but I like to live dangerously."

"I think I'm glad I don't have a girlfriend." Borden muttered. Drake laughed at him.

KITT made a sound almost like whimpering. "Where are you going while you leave me here?" he demanded. He wasn't scared of the boys (he was an AI, when was the last time he had to remind himself he couldn't feel anything?) but the last thing he wanted was those girls, as trouble-prone as they were, to leave his sight. He was not above emotional blackmail.

"The mall." Raven said dismissively.

"Take this." He popped open the glove box. Inside was a man's watch. "It's a comm. link. You can use it to communicate with me."

Jess took it and strapped it on. "Cool." She hugged Borden, who tensed slightly, and Drake. She gave KITT a fond pat on the hood. "We'll be back soon. We just wanna wander for a bit."

"Be careful." KITT warned. "I haven't had a driver in a long time, much less three."

"We'll be fine." Heather assured him. "You focus on being in top-notch condition."

/--/

Travis waited patiently. It wouldn't take long now, he knew. He had spent five years repairing that car, putting it back together despite the hassles it took. Finding people to bribe or threaten into giving him the parts was hard, but not nearly as hard as the AI's incessant harping. Everything had to be exactly to specifications, and heaven help him if he was off by even one millimeter. He almost rolled his eyes at the thought.

The girls had done a number on him. Nothing severely damaged, but they had proven that they weren't to be taken lightly.

There was the sound of an engine, and the cell wall exploded, revealing a slightly dusty Pontiac Firebird. Travis climbed into the driver's side, ignoring the calls from his cellmates. "About time you showed up, KARR." he spat. "I was getting bored in there."

"Patience." came the car's deep voice. "My half of the deal and yours are about to be fulfilled at the same time."

Travis frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Get the girls, and Knight Industries Two Thousand will follow."


	5. Prototypes

**Prototypes**

The mall was loud and crowded, but that didn't stop the girls. Fresh paychecks opened worlds of possibilities, especially with no bills to pay. Raven had driven them to the mall, while Jess and Heather toyed with both the comm. link and Heather's cell phone. The end result was a new line in the cell, one that allowed them to use the phone instead of the comm. link to talk to KITT. Jess was still wearing the watch, but that was more for show. As they checked out the list of movies playing, the cell phone beeped at them.

"Why is it so noisy?" KITT demanded. Heather laughed.

"It's the mall on a Saturday, KITT." she said. "It's always noisy." KITT made a sound of disbelief, which just made Heather laugh again. "What? Didn't Michael ever take you to the mall?"

"He spared me that indignity." KITT said dryly. "I don't think any of his girlfriends ever managed to drag him shopping."

"Guys have an amazing knack for avoiding that." Heather agreed, pleased to not the odd tone that usually accompanied mention of Michael was mostly gone. KITT was learning to live with the loss.

"Where are Raven and Jess?"

"Currently walking about two feet in front of me, arguing over which is better – anime or romance movies." Heather said with a grin. "Hence why I'm standing behind them."

KITT laughed. "I can understand that." A brief pause. "I must say, Borden is a wonderful mechanic."

Heather chuckled. "Told you he was good. What do you think of Drake?"

"If he would stop referring to me as 'the car' we'd do fine." KITT commented. "I think he's still getting used to me."

"Give him a few days and he won't stop asking you questions." Heather said. Jess and Raven fell back to stand on either side of her.

"Who you talking to?" Jess teased in a sing-song voice.

"My Latin lover." Heather shot back. "We're planning on a hot date for tonight. Guess I'll have to leave you guys here."

"You do realize we can hear your conversation though Jess's comm. link, right?" Raven pointed out.

"Then why ask?"

"To embarrass you by pointing out that Craig is not Latin." Jess smirked. Heather Gibbs-slapped her, laughing. Craig was just a friend, but Jess enjoyed reading into things. KITT's voice crackled over the comm. link, interrupting the conversation.

"I don't understand how you guys argue so much and still stay friends." he said with some amusement. "And if Jess has the comm. link, how is Heather talking to me?"

"Jess and Heather were playing with the link and the cell phone on the way here." Raven explained. "They managed to hook up the link with the phone. I don't know how, but they did."

"By pure accident." Jess put in, while Heather nodded in agreement.

"And to answer your first question," Raven continued, talking over Jess, "stick with us long enough, and you'll join in the arguments as well." Jess and Heather laughed at that.

The conversation lasted through the brief walk to the food court and the girls' half-hour long diversion at Hot Topic. Heather came out of the deal with a new shirt and pants, Jess with a necklace, and Raven with a fresh sketchbook. There was a brief pause during which the girls got some food and KITT updated Drake and Borden on his weapons systems. He had to know they were listening in, but he never said anything and neither did they. KITT was hoping he would never have to use his weapons again. The girls' were hoping for a demonstration.

"So," Raven said, leaning back in her chair, "where to next?"

"Bookstore." Heather said. "The new Nightside novel is out." Jess grinned appreciatively.

"All right! I've been dying to know what happens next."

"You might want to consider coming back soon." KITT advised. "We're almost done here."

"Is everything good?" Jess asked.

"Satisfactory." KITT agreed. "We can start repairs at some other time."

"When that happens, I suggest bringing a book." Borden's voice came over the comm. link. "KITT has been spazzing out with you guys on the edge of his sensors."

"Not for long." KITT said cheerfully. "That will be fixed by the time they get back, right?"

"Right." Drake said, his voice muted by distance. "They're going to lend me that book, right?"

"Only after we read it." Heather said sweetly. Drake muttered under his breath. KITT laughed.

"I'm learning new words!"

Heather rolled her eyes. "We'll head out as soon as we get some books."

/--/

Travis watched them from new vehicle. The scanner gave them a very accurate view of where the girls' were and what they were doing. "I never pegged Heather to be a cell phone junkie." he muttered. KARR made a noncommittal sound.

"They have Knight 2000's comm. link." he mused. "He'll be able to track them through that."

"Do we want Knight 2000 to track us?" Travis asked doubtfully. "From what I understand, he wasn't rebuilt by a couple of teenagers who didn't know what they were doing."

KARR made a sound of disbelief. "You are an exceptional mechanic." he said, his dark voice smooth and soothing. "And Knight 2000 has never been up to my standards."

Travis refrained from any smart remarks about that. He may have been stupid enough to re-activate an AI he knew nothing about, but he wasn't dumb enough to antagonize the thing. Besides, KARR was a bit touchy about that particular subject. "So now what?"

"They're splitting up." KARR said, sounding excited. "Pick them off, one by one. I don't care if you hurt them, but don't kill them." Travis nodded and got out, closing the door behind him. KARR watched him go, thoughts going through his mind. Finally, he spoke again, mostly to himself.

"I want to give KITT a reason to fight."

/--/

AN: I think I'll cut it off there. I promised Jess I'd have this chapter up days ago, but I think I'm trying to get sick, so I've been taking my time. Maybe with enough rest and relaxation I won't actually get sick. Or I'll finally catch a fever and get the darn thing done and over with. Who knows? Review, please!


	6. Kidnapped

AN: Please don't kill me if this chapter sucks. I've been having a hard time even thinking about how to start, and I told Jess I'd have it out by today at the latest. Blame her! (laughs) No, don't, she'll kill me if you do. Ok, enough – story time!

**Kidnapping**

Raven cursed herself for not seeing it coming.

She had been searching through the manga, enjoying herself with every intention of blowing the rest of her spending money here. She had heard the footsteps, but she hadn't thought anything of it. She had figured it was just another random shopper. So it had scared the crap out of her when the hand had gone over her mouth and clamped down tight. She had stopped squirming when she felt the cold steel of what could only have been a gun barrel press into her ribs. Now she was standing rather awkwardly in the isle, waiting for Jess and Heather to show up. She had a feeling she knew what she was now – bait. Jess and Heather would not leave her at Travis's mercy.

Sure enough, she heard voices not two minutes later.

"I swear, I do not understand how you read that crap." Heather's voice, teasing.

"It's not crap. It's a romantic story line." Jess, not even in the least bit defensive. Raven almost rolled her eyes. How many times had they had this discussion? More than she cared to count. She was half-expecting to hear KITT put his two-cents in, but to her surprise, he remained silent. Borden and Drake may have been making adjustments that distracted him. Or maybe he was just enjoying the banter. Who knew? Raven didn't know KITT well enough to say one way or the other.

They rounded the corner and froze.

Travis smiled. "Not one word from any of you." he hissed. "I want you to follow me out and get in my car. One sound, and I will kill her." He poked the gun into Raven's side, and the girl flinched. Her eyes were blazing with fury. If she ever got loose, Travis was so dead.

Jess and Heather knew this. They could read Raven as easily as she could read them. Jess glanced from Travis to Heather. She returned the look and slowly shook her head. Running was not an option. With a sigh, Jess faced Travis.

"So I guess this means no books this trip." she muttered. "Lead the way, buttmunch."

"Wait." They stopped. "Turn off the cell phone, Heather." Travis ordered. "I don't want whoever you're talking to calling the cops." Heather shot him a filthy look, but turned off the cell. She had no other choice.

/--/

KITT had been listening in idly while Borden and Drake worked on his scanner. When the boy had said something about killing Raven, he had started paying closer attention. When Heather turned off her phone, however, it set an alarm off that usually only went off if someone destroyed the comm. link. Drake, who had been in the cabin at the time, yelped and slammed his head on the roof.

"Crap, KITT! What the heck is that?"

"Alarm." KITT said quietly. "Borden, hurry with the scanner. The girls are in trouble."

Borden let loose a variety of choice words. KITT almost laughed at that. He was starting to notice one striking difference between Borden and his little sister – from what he understood, Heather didn't curse. He hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but apparently it wasn't as common as it had been ten years ago, when Michael had been an oddity because of his preference for the word 'damn' when things got rough.

"Ok, that should be good." Borden said suddenly. "Can you tell what the problem is?"

"Not offhand." KITT said. He played back a bit of what he had picked up from Heather's cell. Borden cursed again.

"That's Travis."

KITT felt his anger flare. "Jess's ex-boyfriend?"

"The one and only." Borden seethed. "You get the chance to, kill him. He won't stop unless he's dead, and obviously jail isn't going to hold him."

"It goes against my programming to kill." KITT said quietly.

"But you are programmed to protect your driver." Drake pointed out.

"Yes."

"Loophole." Drake said confidently. "You can use that to your advantage."

"I'll try." KITT backed out of the garage. "I'll bring them back here when I get them back." he told the boys. Borden nodded. Drake's fists were clenched, and KITT had the feeling the younger man would have been coming with him if KITT hadn't made him get out first. "I'll find them. I promise."

"I know you will." Drake said. "Now go!"

KITT powered down the highway, hoping he didn't run into any cops along the way. That wouldn't be good.

Something familiar flickered on his sensors, and KITT almost froze in fear.

KARR!

/--/

It was a beat-up Pontiac Firebird, something that looked remarkably similar to a Trans-Am. All three girls were in the backseat, their expressions depicting varying degrees of anger and malice. Sitting in the middle, Heather was the most calm, if only because she knew the others wouldn't be. Someone had to be able to think, and anger only clouded Heather's mind. She had done some pretty stupid stuff when she was pissed off, and after the fourth time it happened, she made it a point to control her temper.

On the other hand, right now it wouldn't take much to send her over the edge. Like, oh say, hearing Travis the Buttmunch speak.

Which he was doing.

"KARR, how far is it to the safehouse?" Travis asked, pressing some buttons on the dash. Jess suddenly realized the dash of this car looked a lot like KITT's dash. A panel flashed with a green light as a deep voice spoke.

"Not far, Travis. Be patient – we will have plenty of time."

"Who the heck said that?" Jess demanded, pushing back against the seat. KITT had been one thing. KITT actually sounded pleasant. This car just radiated hate.

"I am KARR."

"Oh, really?" Raven snapped. "I never would have guessed. I thought you were a truck." Heather had to stuff her fist in her mouth to smother her laughter. Raven was _pissed off_, and she was going to take that anger out on someone.

It just happened to be the car.

"My name is KARR. Knight Automated Roving Robot."

"Is that anything like naming a cat Kitty?" Jess asked, a note of disbelief in her voice. "I mean, come on, I've come up with more creative names for mindless trucks than that."

"Well, it ranks right up there with calling our black cat Snowball." Raven said. "Although that is pretty funny."

"If you are going to mock my name, then you can call me by my proper one." KARR's already dark voice just got darker. Heather finally got herself under control enough to speak.

"You don't want them doing that." she said firmly. "They will tease you incessantly about that."

"Knight Automated Roving Robot." Raven said, tasting the feel of the words. "You know, I think that's the name of a new toy Hasbro came out with. What was it Heather – one of those Transformer toys or something?"

"Only from Transformers Animated." Heather quipped, joining in the fun. "Only Animated would be degrading enough to name a Transformer KARR. It's just too redundant. Cybertron or Generation One would have cooler names."

"What could possibly be cooler than KARR?" Travis demanded.

Heather hesitated, but Jess filled in the blank rather bluntly. "KITT."

"The Knight 2000 is an inferior model." KARR snapped. "He cannot save you from me."

"If he's inferior, then why do you feel the need to kidnap us to get an advantage on him?" Raven pointed out. "That's the coward's way."

"Not that we wouldn't have gotten involved anyway." Jess added. "I mean, we do take care of our own."

"Semper Fi." Heather added.

Travis looked at them. "What does that mean?"

"Look it up, dimwit."

KARR groaned. It was going to be a long ride.


	7. Not Thinking Straight

**Not Thinking Straight**

Travis was about to kill someone. If it wasn't for KARR's insistence that he couldn't kill them, he would have done it long ago. The girls had figured out that he wasn't going to seriously hurt them yet, and so they were taking every opportunity available to harass him. His hands were gripping the steering wheel hard enough to turn his knuckles white, but they didn't seem to care. KARR was ignoring them for the most part, but Travis figured he was actually running what they were saying through his massive computers.

Unfortunately, Travis didn't need translation. This particular comedian was funny the first two hundred times he heard him. Jeff Dunham lost all hilarity around number five hundred. And what was worse, they were taking turns.

Raven started. "Jeff-fafa."

Then Jess. "Dun-ham."

Then Heather. "Dot-Com."

And the track would repeat. Over. And over. And over.

He wasn't sure if they were trying to piss him off, or if it was just something they were doing because they were bored. If things were that bad, he was getting KARR to amuse them. Possibly with violence. He wanted to reach back and slap one of them, but Travis wasn't stupid. He'd had an advantage over them in the store. In KARR, however, he had lost that advantage. They didn't fear KARR. If Travis tried to do anything to shut them up, all three of them would jump him, and he wasn't having that. KARR might just lose his patience and eject them all from the cabin.

"What happened as you were getting out of the car?" Heather, perfectly mocking Dunham's voice.

"He slammed my stick in the door." It looked like Raven was playing Jose Japeleno. "And now I have a sore stick."

"Did you apologize?"

"No." Now that did not surprise him – Jess playing Peanut.

The rest of what they were saying was lost in KARR's voice. "Why do you insist on quoting something that makes no sense?" he demanded.

Jess decided to go with the truth. "Because it's pissing Travis off-fafa." She grinned as Heather exploded into laughter. "And since he kidnapped us, we have every reason to piss him off."

"Are we pissing you off-fafa, KARR-rara?" Raven snipped.

KARR ignored her. Travis couldn't. He spun around. "Will you shut up?!" he shouted, reaching in the backseat to grab Raven's shoulder.

Which was all the opening Raven needed. She slammed the heel of her hand into Travis's nose. There was the satisfying sound of cartilage snapping, and Travis jerked back, cursing in a nasal tone. Heather and Jess exchanged looks. Raven was looking awfully happy now.

"She is a sadist." Heather murmured. Jess snickered.

"And we're not?"

"Point."

"Enough of this." KARR snapped. "Jessica has the comm. link. She calls the Knight 2000. Now."

"And what do I tell him?" Jess snapped.

"Tell him that I have you." KARR said easily. "And you will die unless he fights me."

"No." Jess spat.

"Jess, let me see it." Heather said, taking the comm. link from her. "I'll turn it off."

"There is no way to turn off the comm. link." KARR said smugly. "KITT is no doubt tracking us with it as we speak. And when he finds us, I will fight and destroy him, just as he tried to destroy me."

For a moment, no one spoke. The girls knew – the only way KITT would have tried to harm KARR was if KARR was trying to harm him. It wasn't in KITT's nature to be violent. If KARR was so confident that he could take KITT, there was a fairly good chance he could. If he couldn't, and KARR was bluffing, well, he was just a car. There wasn't much he could do to them that they couldn't fight off. If KARR knew about the comm. link, then there was a good chance he already knew KITT was listening in. If they could find an advantage they could give their friend, they had to try. A look passed between the girls. Heather raised the comm. link to her mouth. "Did you catch all that, KITT?"

"Yes." KITT sounded stressed.

"I'm sorry, KITT. But we have to protect you." Before KITT could protest, Heather quickly rolled down the window and threw the comm. link into a ditch.

Just as calmly, Jess passed the cell phone behind her back to Raven. Raven turned it back on.

Travis cursed violently. KARR stayed silent, but they could practically feel the thing simmering with hate. Not for the first time, Travis and KARR wondered if they really knew what they were getting into, using the girls as bait.

Jess, Raven, and Heather were wondering the same thing.

/--/

KITT had to stop himself from protesting. The tracking device had stopped moving rather abruptly. Someone must have thrown it out a window – maybe Raven. She had the strongest arm of the three. He wanted to scream, to demand what on earth they thought they were doing, and then he heard a wonderful sound.

The cell phone clicked on, and Travis was turning the air blue.

KARR knew KITT was listening to them. Now KARR didn't have the advantage of knowing. Maybe he would be a bit more loose with information.

The girls must have been hoping the same thing. KITT stayed quiet and listened in.

He was going to have to remember to ask them what Jeff Dunham was when he got them back.

/--/

They had fallen silent not long after their little stunt with the comm. link. Travis looked positively murderous, and KARR was far more intimidating than him. They had pushed their luck as far as it was going to go. Any more might get them killed, and then KITT would probably dig up the remains and kill them again.

Suddenly, Travis spoke. "We're here."

Raven looked around. "Nice. What is this, the bowling alley? That's not exactly remote you know."

"Yes, but it is abandoned." Heather murmured, casting a glance at the building. They were keeping their voices low, so KITT could hear but not Travis or KARR. "On the outskirts of town, close enough that people know where it is but not so close they care what's going on here. No one would think to look here for us."

"How would you explain that one to the cops?" Jess muttered darkly. "We got kidnapped by a talking car named KARR. It sounds retarded even to me, and I'm living it."

"Or that we're about to be rescued by another talking car named KITT?" Heather added.

"We need to talk to KITT about this when we get back." Raven said suddenly. "The same people who made him made KARR. What if there are others?"

"I don't think KITT was expecting KARR to show up like he did." Jess said thoughtfully. "He would have warned us."

"Probably. But we still need to know."

"Get out." Travis had the gun aimed at them, fury plain in his eyes. Maybe tormenting him hadn't been such a great idea after all. "Get inside. Now."

"Sure thing." Raven spat. "When we get inside, you might want to put some ice on your nose."

As Travis lead the way, muttering curses the entire time, Heather slid the cell phone in her pocket. Very faintly, she heard KITT's voice.

"I'm on my way."

/--/

An: Yeah, I was going to torment KARR all the way to the hideout, but then I realized – we were going to get ourselves killed. So we actually exercised some common sense, which isn't something we do often. Review, and let me know what you think!

If you think it sucks, don't worry. It's gets better next chapter. I was trying to be goofy and suddenly realized this wasn't the chapter for goofiness.


	8. Risky Behavior

**Risky Behavior**

KARR hacked into the old surveillance cameras in the bowling alley. Travis had neglected to tell him how feisty the girls were. He had to admit, he was impressed when the one called Raven had broken the boy's nose. He wanted to see what would happen next, and his scanners just didn't cut it this time. Then again, that's what he got for letting a teenage boy put him together. He would have to be extremely careful when he went up against KITT. While he doubted the Knight 2000 was at prime operating level, he had to be in better condition than KARR was. Which didn't bode well for KARR at all.

He had let the girls think he was tougher than he was. He wondered then if the girls were as tough as they seemed. Maybe they had a weakness he could exploit when KITT showed up.

Then again, didn't he already see it? The same weakness he saw between the Knight 2000 and his annoying driver KARR now saw in these three girls. They cared for each other far too much, and for his foolish twin. The real question was, would Travis be smart enough to see it and use it against them? Holding Raven as bait had been merely luck. There was more he could do with that bond, more ways he could manipulate them to do what he wanted them to do.

Or perhaps that wasn't the real question at all. The real question came back to himself – did KARR even care what Travis did anymore? Not that he and Travis had ever been anything more than partners in the loosest sense of the term. Travis wanted to hurt the girls – most importantly he wanted to hurt Jessica, and Raven and Heather were the fastest way to do that – and KARR wanted to hurt KITT. When KARR realized KITT had taken the girls in as his drivers, their alliance was cemented.

KARR no longer cared.

He had everything he wanted. KITT knew he was still active. Whether he killed the girls now or let them go was irrelevant – KITT wouldn't allow KARR to live for very long. His programming to protect his drivers would demand he end the threat, no matter how small it was. The girls were irrelevant at this point.

Something was happening. He turned his focus back to the cameras.

"I want you to get down there." Travis, motioning towards the gap at the end of the bowling lanes where the pins drop after the ball hits them. KARR noticed with some interest that the boy had abandoned his weapon, not that it had done him any good in intimidating the girls. Without it, on the other hand, Travis didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting them to cooperate.

Sure enough, Raven crossed her arms over her chest. "You have got to be kidding me." she spat out angrily. "I am not getting down there."

Travis growled, but it came out sounding nasal. KARR snickered to himself. "You are getting down there because I say you are." the boy snapped.

Heather simply rolled her eyes. "You and what army? I count three of us and one of you."

"You forget – there are two of me, and KARR is a bit more powerful than all of you." Travis growled.

"Yeah, but KARR's not helping you, is he?" Raven pointed out with a smirk. "In fact, I'm willing to bet he doesn't give a rat's hide now that he has KITT's attention."

Accurate, but KARR didn't say anything. Not long now. KITT had to be frantic by now, especially when Heather so thoughtfully threw the comm. link out the window.

But Heather seemed to be a bit smarter than that. KARR wondered, briefly, if there was any other way they could have contacted the Knight 2000. Without proper sensors, he wouldn't have known about it. He almost growled, but held it back. It wouldn't be long now, he knew. The Knight 2000 would come. And he would fight KARR to the death. That was the only way it could be.

Wasn't it?

Travis rolled his eyes. "If you don't cooperate, I will drag you back outside and let KARR take care of you." he snapped. "I'll let him waste you without a thought. How do you like that?"

Jess sighed. "He's got a point, you know." she said simply. "On the other hand, how do you plan on getting us out of the building? We do outnumber you, and you don't have your gun anymore." Her smirk was nothing short of evil. Travis blinked.

"What makes you think that's my only weapon?"

"Well, I can obviously tell you you have no wits." Heather muttered. "So we can't challenge you there." Raven laughed.

Travis wasn't the patient type. KARR knew this. It was only a matter of time before something happened, and the boy did something stupid. That time was now.

He lunged at the closest girl, which happened to be Jess. Unfortunately for him, Jess didn't play fair. She hit him in the already-broken nose, splattering blood across his face. He fell back, cursing, his voice almost a shriek in his pain. KARR mentally applauded her. It was a low blow, but it worked. Travis was staggering, unable to find his balance. Heather came up and kicked him in the stomach, dropping him backwards onto his back. She kicked him a few more times in the ribs, probably for good measure. Raven grinned. "I think he's down, girl."

"Just wanted to make sure." Heather said easily. "Now, the real question is – what do we do about KARR?"

"We should find some way to take him down." Jess said, her voice sounding a bit nervous. She kept looking at Travis's semi-unconscious body, as if waiting for him to wake up and attack. It was well-justified paranoia. Travis was never easy to take out, even if he wasn't all that smart. "I don't know exactly how good he is, but if he knows about the comm. link, then he probably knows about the rest of KITT's capabilities. Why on earth would he challenge KITT if he didn't have the same capabilities?"

"He doesn't." Heather said, sounding confident. "If he did, he would have known about the cell phone. I'm pretty sure he's just an AI in a normal car body."

"Can't be too completely normal." Raven said. "He knew where we would be in the bookstore."

"Ok, a limited car body." Heather corrected herself. "The fact remains – he is no match for KITT."

"So what do we do?" Jess wondered, then she answered her own question. "We could wait here until KITT shows up, and then all four of us ambush him."

"Would we even stand a chance?" Raven wondered.

Heather shrugged. "We stand more of a chance with KITT with us than we do without." she pointed out. "Let's just hope he lets us help."

"I'll second that." Jess muttered.

KARR pulled out of the security system. If he had a face, he would have been smiling. The girls were far more ingenious than he thought. He almost – respected them. He still wanted KITT.

As KITT sensed KARR pulling away from the security system, he contacted the girls. "Just where are you guys?" he demanded. "I'm circling the block, but I can't find you."

Raven took out the cell phone. "Just look for the black Firebird that looks like a Trans-Am." she quipped. "It should be in an abandoned parking lot."

"I see you." KITT said grimly. "What about Travis?"

Heather looked at Travis, who was still slightly out of it. "I don't think he'll be a problem for a while." she said. "I think I broke a few ribs."

"You broke a few _ribs_?" KITT sounded shocked. "Borden was right. You three are vicious." He sighed. "You guys are asking for trouble if you try and help me take on KARR."

The girls grinned. "Bring it on."


	9. One Down Another Up

**One Down, Another Up**

The girls had barely enough warning to get out of the way before KITT plowed through the wall, KARR in hot pursuit. KITT slammed on the brakes, spinning in a tight circle. He was trying to get KARR away from the hole he had created, trying to maneuver the other vehicle into a more favorable position. Heather and Jess split to one side, Raven to the other, as KITT and KARR went nose-to-nose.

KARR's engine roared in angry protest, but KITT was fueled by more than just revenge. Slowly, he began to back KARR into the corner.

"We have to help him!" Heather shouted over the squealing tires. KITT was gaining ground, but slowly, oh so slowly. KARR was putting up more of a fight than she thought he would.

"How?" Raven called back. "I think they pretty much have everything under control."

There was the sudden sound of a groan from behind them, and Jess sprang into action. "Raven, take care of Travis. Me and Heather will help KITT!" she ordered. Raven grinned, the look on her face positively evil.

"With pleasure." She stalked towards Travis, murder in her eyes. Heather and Jess searched for something to use against KARR. Raven found a fragmented bowling pin and hefted it, gripping the neck with both hands. Heather discovered a strip of metal that could substitute as a crowbar.

Everything was happening quickly now. Travis was back on his feet and angry, KARR was revving his engine for another go at KITT. There was no time for fear. Instinct took over.

KARR shot forward, his front bumper slamming into KITT's. There was an angry panic in KARR's actions. He knew he was in trouble. He hadn't anticipated KITT's fire – that he would protect these girls as fiercely as he protected his first partner. But things were already moving too fast. There was no time to back out and save himself. KARR had to follow through.

KITT slammed on the gas, struggling to push KARR back. The Firebird's front fender was bending under the pressure. Jess and Heather attacked KARR from the left, shoving the makeshift crowbar under the lip of the hood and using their combined strength to push.

Travis glared at Raven, clearly recovered from the earlier fight. Raven doubted he was feeling any pain now. He was probably in shock from blood loss anyway. She raised her makeshift club. He charged, slamming his shoulder into her stomach just as she brought the pin down on top of his head. They collapsed to the ground and lay there, still. Raven gasped in pain, trying to catch her breath.

Suddenly, KARR's engine died. The hood finally popped open. Everything fell silent. The only sound was the familiar wine of KITT's engine. Heather leaned against the hood, breathing hard. Jess was trembling as Raven slowly pushed herself to her feet. "Is it over?" she asked. Jess shrugged.

"I think so." she said. "Are you all right?"

Raven shook her head. "I'll be fine." she assured her. "It's just a bruise."

"More like a few fractured ribs." KITT muttered. "Jess, help her get in." He swung his passenger door open.

"I am not an invalid!" Raven snapped. Jess ignored her and helped her into the car. Raven continued to mutter under her breath, and Jess and KITT laughed at something she said.

Heather turned her focus to KARR. She pushed his hood up and started poking around. KITT's scanners abruptly switched from Raven and Jess, who were now safe inside his cab, to Heather. "What are you doing?" he demanded. "KARR's still dangerous."

"I know." Heather grunted. "I'm looking for something." Suddenly she reached inside the engine, struggled with something for a moment, and straightened up. A small black box, about five inches by ten inches, was cradled gently in her arms. "Is this KARR?"

KITT seemed to shudder. "Yes."

"Good." Heather slid into the driver's seat and closed her eyes. "Let's get back to the garage. Borden and Drake are probably scared out of their minds."

"We're taking KARR with us?" Raven asked, an odd note in her voice.

Heather nodded tightly. "Would you rather leave him for someone else to find?"

"Point." Jess sighed. "Let's just go home. I want a nap." KITT chuckled as he guided them out of the bowling alley and back to freedom.

/---/

Borden stared at KITT as the AI finished his account of the fight. "So Travis is still alive?" he demanded.

"He has a 20% probability of surviving his injuries." KITT said, sounding oddly subdued. Borden hissed in anger.

"I'll take care of that." he muttered. Louder, he added, "What do you want to do with KARR?"

"The girls and I have decided not to kill him." KITT confirmed. "He's defenseless in his current state. I believe Raven asked Drake to find a way to hook him up into Raven's computer so we can communicate with him. Who knows? They might hit it off."

"KARR tried to kill you before." Borden reminded him.

"KARR is not my enemy." KITT said tiredly. "I am no longer with FLAG. I don't want to fight him anymore."

Borden considered it, then nodded. "Just KITT now. Not Knight Industries Two Thousand." he murmured.

"Exactly."

"You're hoping to say the same about KARR."

"Something like that."

Once again, they fell silent. Suddenly, Borden smiled. "Don't worry about it. If anyone can bring KARR over to the Dark Side, it's these girls."

"KARR already is on the Dark Side." KITT protested.

"Not our Dark Side." Borden said with a grin.

KITT laughed. Someone entered the front part of the garage, the reception area where Heather, Jess, Raven, and Drake were relaxing and indulging themselves with sweet tea. KITT tuned in.

"We're closed." Heather said cheerfully. She eyed the man standing in front of her. He looked familiar – blond hair and blue eyes – but that could be anyone. Although she could only think of one person in particular who would want to dress in a way that screamed federal agent. "You can come back tomorrow."

"Ever sarcastic." the man sighed. "Heather Jones and Jess and Raven McDell. I never thought our paths would cross again." His eyes flickered over to Drake and focused again on Heather. Drake ignored him.

Jess's fists tightened in fury. "Paul Travers." she hissed. "Will wonders never cease? What do you want?"

"I'm here on official business." Paul said stiffly.

"We have done nothing to incur the wrath of the Men In Black, Agent Zero." Heather quipped. Raven snickered.

"I represent the Foundation of Law and Government." Paul snapped. "We would like our technology back."

Raven tilted her head to the side. "What technology? We're just here to visit Borden."

"You remember him." Jess said. Her voice was sickeningly sweet. "Six foot four, incredibly strong – in fact, I think he kicked your sorry hide once or twice."

"Should have skinned it for what you did to Heather." Raven growled. Heather shot them warning looks. They ignored her.

Now Drake was showing an interest. "What did you do to Heather?" he demanded, his voice dropping a few notes in his anger.

Once again, Paul ignored them all. "You have the Knight Industries Two Thousand. FLAG wants it back."

"We'll think about it." Heather said smoothly.

Paul nodded. "You have two days." With that he was gone.


	10. A Bad Thing

**A Bad Thing**

Heather looked a bit like a little kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar, KITT thought with some amusement. Borden and Drake were glaring daggers at her, while Jess and Raven simply stood to one side. Raven cast a glance at Drake, and the two left the room, Drake somewhat reluctantly. Heather seemed to relax at that.

"So I guess you want to know what happened, huh?" she murmured sheepishly.

Borden's eyes narrowed. "Dang skippy I do." he growled. "Who is Paul Travers and why haven't I heard of him?"

Jess opened her mouth to say something, but Heather beat her to it. "Paul is an ex-boyfriend of mine." she admitted. "I dated him back in seventh grade. Turned out he wasn't as sweet of a guy as I thought he was." She shifted a bit on her feet, and KITT saw anger and disgust reflected in her eyes. "I did something to piss him off – I can't remember what – and he hit me. I fought him off, but he left his bruises. I broke it off with him then."

Borden sighed, but KITT noticed his fists clenched. KITT was finding himself getting angry at this boy he didn't even know, the same way he got angry at Travis before he even got to know the boy. Paul had hurt one of his drivers. Add that to the fact that Paul was with FLAG, and KITT wanted nothing to do with the man.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Borden said quietly.

"I didn't think it mattered." Heather said just as quietly. "I mean, it had already been taken care of. He came over a few days later and tried to beg forgiveness, and Dad threw him out on his butt and threatened his life. About a week after that a couple of our friends found out about it" – at this she cast Jess a quick glance – "and they cornered him on his way home. I haven't seen him since until now."

Jess seemed mightily pleased with herself. "I told you no one gets away with hurting my sister like that. The guys were just handy."

"Yeah, if you could have done it you would have kicked his butt yourself." Heather shot back with a grin. "In any case, it's not like I'm still a helpless little girl. Let FLAG send him again if they want. I'll beat him off this time."

KITT spoke up. "You have trained?"

"Something like that." Heather said easily.

Borden sighed. "Heather, I don't care how good you are, that red belt still won't protect you against everyone." he pointed out. "You need some sort of backup."

"She's got me." KITT protested. "I may not be able to kill a human, but I can injure him."

Heather and Jess laughed. "I don't doubt that, KITT." Jess agreed. "But what happens if he catches her in an alleyway or inside a crowded building? You can't protect her wherever she goes."

"And I don't need him to." Heather said sharply. "Borden, I know what you're saying. Trust me, I'm not getting overconfident. But Paul isn't like Travis. He isn't going to go after Jess and Raven to hurt me. If anything, he'd go after KITT or me directly. And as long as there are no hostages, I can take him out."

"Before he takes you out?"

"Yes."

At that moment, Drake and Raven walked back in and the conversation was dropped. Drake didn't look to happy, but it wasn't the first time he had been left out of the loop. "So we've got KARR hooked up to Raven's computer." Drake said. "The question is, what do we do about FLAG wanting KITT?"

For a moment, there was silence. Then Borden spoke. "Can you make something that looks like KARR's CPU?" he asked the younger boy.

Drake shrugged. "Piece of cake. Why?"

Suddenly Heather laughed. "Genius, Borden. Pure genius."

"I'm lost." Raven said.

"They're going to make a copy." Jess said with a grin. "Give FLAG something that looks like KITT's CPU but isn't. Let them chase their tails for a while so we can figure out what to do."

Raven slapped herself in the forehead. "Jess moment."

"Hey!"

Heather and KITT simply laughed.

/---/

It took two days for Drake and Borden to put together something that would pass minimal inspection. They really didn't expect Paul to examine the thing in detail the instant they passed it over to him, but passing minimal inspection was hard enough. A lot of it was simply gadgets that had been glued on to the outside of a plastic box.

Of course, to hear Drake put it, it was his crowning achievement. KITT had simply laughed at him. A black plastic box filled with washers to give it the proper weight, the washers wielded to the plastic and each other to keep them from rattling around and giving away the game, courtesy of Jess. Things were moving quickly, and KITT wasn't sure he could keep up. There was some sort of urgency here that he had never found at FLAG with the laidback Devon in control.

This was the urgency of someone who recognized that they were the underdogs, and were determined to do everything they could to fix that situation.

FLAG had all the advantages. The girls had to know that. They were working quickly so FLAG would never recognize their weakness.

KITT was flattered that they would go to such a length for him.

Right now he was parked in the garage, doing his best to look like an innocent, normal car. He was not an incredibly advanced AI, which meant he couldn't scan the area around them. At the moment, he was virtually blind and defenseless. Borden was underneath the engine, poking around but not really doing anything. Drake was crouched next to him, but like Borden, his focus wasn't on the noises they were making.

This was the lookout.

Paul stepped into the waiting room and stared at the girls. Raven and Jess had refused to let Heather handle this one alone. "Have you reached your decision?" he asked.

Heather nodded. "You can have the AI." she said. "But we keep the car."

Paul looked surprised. "You're giving up so easily?"

Heather made a show of looking disgusted with herself. "I wish I wasn't. But there are simply too many of you and not enough of us. I don't like fighting losing battles." She kept her head down, hiding her smirk behind a curtain of hair. KITT could hear them, but it annoyed him that he couldn't see what was going on.

Jess growled. "I just hope you treat him right." she muttered. "He's been good to us."

Paul nodded. "We will treat him with the utmost respect." he said, picking up the AI box from the table. He examined it a moment, and nodded to himself. "I'll talk to my superiors about letting you keep the Trans-Am. There's nothing in there we can't reproduce. I might have to come back to disable some of the gadgets on there. Wouldn't want you hurting yourselves, now would we?"

Raven scowled. "No, I guess not."

Paul nodded to them. "Don't leave town with that car." With that he was gone. The girls breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, now what?" Raven muttered.

KITT came back online as the girls came back into the garage. Borden and Drake moved to sit in front of his bumper, the girls crouching in front of them. "The way I figure it, we have at least a few weeks before they realize what we did and storm all over us." Borden said. "That should give us some time to get the heck away from here."

"What about Dad and Mom?" Heather asked.

"I can get them to stay with Grandma up north." Borden responded easily. "You know Mom would love the chance to never have to cook again." Heather chuckled tiredly.

"That settles it." Raven said. "Jess and I will get our family out of here. We have relatives down south they can stay with. Once everyone else is in the clear, we'll get the heck out of dodge."

Drake nodded. "My family is already up north, so it's not like they're in the firing range, but I'll give them a call and alert them just in case."

"But where do we go?" Heather wondered.

"The desert." KITT said suddenly. "As far away from this town as we can get."

Borden agreed. "The desert it is then."

**The End**

AN: This is it – the final chapter of this crackish story. There will be a sequel – soon to arrive as soon as I clear out the other stories I'm not actually going to finish. (sighs) You know the drill – review, and I'll get the sequel going as soon as I can.

In the meantime, I remain yours truly,

Shadowblade-tara


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